Reversible regenerative furnace



July 3, w28o J. S. ATKINSON REVERSIBLE REGENERATIVE FURNACE Filed Auz-8., 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet l QwIL.

ill-fw@ z'wwg July 3, 192s.

J. S. ATKINSON REVERS I BLE REGENERATI VE FURNAC E Filed Aug. 8, 1921 2sheets-sheet 2 Patented July 3, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES STANLEY ATKINSON, F LONDON, ENGLAND,l ASSIK'lSOR, BY MESNE.ASSIGIL MENTS, TO OPENHEARTH COMBUSTION COMPANY, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,.A GOR- PORATION OF DELAWARE.

REVERSIBLE REGENERATIVE FURNACE.

application filed .August 8, 1921, Serial No. 490,697, and in GreatBritain September 22, 1918.

(GRANTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS 0F THE ACT 0F MARCH 3, 1921, 41 ETAT. L.,1313.)

My invention relates to 'improvements in reversible regenerativefurnaces. An object of the present invention is to improve theconstruction and operation, of reversible regenerative furnaces such asare used in the manufacture of steel, glass, and the like.

'lhese furnaces,` asl usually constructed, have gas and air passages andports, sit- 310 uatcd at each end of the furnace hearth. rlho .incominggas and air, having been heated in the regenerative chambers, pass intethe furnace proper through the set of ports, at one end of the furnacehearth and, when the furnace is reversed, they pass in by the set ofports at the other end ofthe furnace hearth. The products of combustionpass out of the furnace proper by the set of ports and'passages oppositethose atv t@ which the gas and air enter. Owing to the outgoing productsof combustion passing from the furnace` proper at a very hightemperature, the material at the ports is rapidly burnt back, making itnecessary to im frequently stop the furnace for repairs, to enable theproper direction of the incoming gas and air to be maintained, andmoreover the said burning back causes the place where combustion takesplace in the furnace au proper to gradually recede,.this resulting inloss of elliciency and reduced speed of action.

To overcome these objections, I provide, at each end of the furnacehearth, and

M separate from the gas and air passages and ports, an outlet passage,or outlet passages, for 'the products of combustion, the entrance towhich passage, or passages, should be in advance of the gas and airports. In this w improved construction ythe products of combustion,passing from the furnace proper, do not impinge directly on the materialat the gas and air ports, so that these are more durable. Any known, orsuitable arrange- CM ment of valves is provided for controllingl the newof gas and air from the regenerative chambers through to the air and gaspassages and ports, and the flow of the products of combustion from thefurnace proper to the regenerative chambers.

I will describe, with reference to the .ac-

companying drawing, afffurnace in accordance with this invention. Onlyone half of the furnace is shewn, it being understood of course that theother half is similar to the half shewn.

Figure l is a longitudinal section of one longitudinal half of thefurnace. Figure 2 1s a section on the line A. B. Figure l; Figure 3.' isa section on the line C. D. Figure l; Figure l is a section on the lineE. F. Figure l; Figure 5 is a section on the line (ir. l-l. Figure 4;and Figure 6 is a section on the line I. J. Figure 4.

At each end of the furnace hearth there are` gas and air passages andports (marked l and 2 respectively for supplying the mixture of gas andair necessary for combustion in the furnace proper. Gas and air frompassages l and 2 are mixed in a. port 1u prior to introduction into thefurnace hearth. As shown in Figures 3 and 4 the mixing port 1 isrelatively narrow as compared with the width of the furnace hearth.

At each end of the furnace hearth are outlets (separate from the burner,or burners consisting of thevgas and air ports l and 2 and with theiropenings in advancer thereof) those shewn being marked 3, these e0outlets being controlled by valves l in the passages 5 by which the saideutletscommunicate with the regenerative chambers, which are indicatedat 6, the valves 4; also controlling the flow of heated gases for com-85 bustion so that when the said valves are raised to their upperposition there is communication between the outlet passages 3 and theregenerative chambers ti and when the said valves are in their lowerposition, eo there is communication between the gas and air passages 1and 2 and the said regenerative chambers. 7 is a slag chamber betweenthe outlet passages 3 and the passages 5.

The furnace is provided with appliances as for reversal and othernecessary appliances, or arrangements, which may be similar to those inuse in other reversible regenerative furnaces, and the invention is 'notconfined to the precise arrangement of the burners 10 and gas and airinlets thereof as shown, the

essential feature of this invention being the arrangement at each end ofthe furnace hearth of the out-let, or outlets, separate from the inletports and passages as hereinbefore explained.

I am aware that it has been proposed to arrange a furnace with twocommunicating hearths and to provide in each an outlet passage separatefrom the inlet passage, so that the two hearths can be used alternatelyand the residual heat in either be utilized in the other, and to such anarf rangement I make no claim.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentin the UnitedStates, is:

1. An open-hearth furnace comprising, in combination, a. hearth, acombined fuel and air port at each end of the furnace of relativelysmall width as compared with the hearth, regenerative chambers havingcommunication with said ports, additional channels leading from theregenerative chambers 'to the interior of the furnace adjacent the endsthereof, and means for causing the entire air passing through theregenerative chamber at the inlet end of the furnace to pass through thecombined fuel and air port.

2. An open-hearth furnace comprising, in combination, a hearth, acombined fuel and air port at each end of the furnace of relativelysmall width as compared with the hearth,regenerative chambers havingcorninunication with said ports, additional channels leading from theregenerative chambers to the interior of the furnace adjacent the endsthereof, means for causing the entire air passing through theregenerative chamber at the inlet end of the furnace to pass through thecombined fuel and air port, and means for preventing the flow of theproducts of combustion through the combined fuel and air port at theoutlet end of the furnace and causing the saine to pass through theadditional channel into the regenerative chamber.

3. An open-hearth furnace comprisimr, in

. D combination, a hearth, a regenerative chamber at each end. acombined fuel and air port communicating with each end of the furnace ofrelatively small width as compared with the hearth, and with therespective regenerative chamber. additional channels connecting theregenerative chambers with the furnace adjacentthe two ends, and athrottle-valve in each additional channel.

4. In reversible regenerative furnaces, the provision at each end of thefurnace hearth, of an outlet passage, for the products of combustion,the said outlet passage, being separate from the' inlet gas and airpassages and ports; sul'istantially as hereinbefore explained.

5. In reversible regenerative furnaces, the provision at each end of thefurnace hearth, of an outlet passage, for the products of combastion,the said outlet passage, being scparate from the inlet gas and airpassages and ports and the entrances to the said outlet passage being inadvance of the inlet as and air ports; substantially as hereinbeforeexplained. t

6. A reversible regenerative furnace having a hearth, a regenerativechamber for each end thereof, a passage for conducting iuid from each ofsaid regenerative chainbers to said hearth and a separate outlet passage to each of said chambers.

7. A .reversible regenerative furnace having a hearth, a regenerativechamber for each end thereof, a passage between each of said chambersand said hearth for conducting iuid to said hearth and other passagesbetween said hearth and said chambers and :means for selectivelyinterrupting communication through said passages.

8. A reversible regenerative furnace liav ing a furnace hearth, aregcnerator for each end of said furnace, passages for conducting airfrom each of said regenerators to said hearth, separate outlet passagesfrom each end of said hearth to atl'ord communication with the`corresitionding regenerators and means for interrupting comunicationthrough said outlet passages.

9. In a reversible regenerative furnace, a passage connecting thefurnace and regenerator and means in said passage ata point remote fromthe furnace chamber adapted to control fluid flow through said passage.

10. In a reversible regenerative furnace, passages connecting each endof the furnace with the associated regenerators, and valves l Iated insaid passages at a point between the furnace and regenerators distant'from the furnace chamber adapted to control fiuid flow through saidpassages.

11. In an open hearth furnace, regenerative chambers, slag pockets,)assages connecting the regenerative cham ers and slag pockets, passagesconnecting the slag pockets and furnace ports, and means for controllingthe flow fi'om the regenerators to the slag pockets.

12. In an open hearth furnace, regenerative chambers, slag pockets.passages connecting the regenerative chambers and slag pockets, passagesconnecting the slag pockets and furnace ports, and means adapted toclose otl' the passages connecting the regenerators and the slagpockets.

13. In an open hearth furnace, a plurality of regenerative chambers ateach end of the furnace, a slag pocket connected by passages to eachregenerator, and dampers controlling certain of said passages.

Signed at London, England, this 18th day of July, 1921.

i JAMES STANLEY ATKINSON.

